Help Me Choose!

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Ive actually taken very good care of this car. Scheduled mentaince when it needed it. Never abused the the car. Inside is immaculate. Outside has a couple of dings from idiots who decided to park too close to me. But otherwise a great car and I love everything inside and outside. It's just the price but if its only a $5000 difference then it should offset over the long run. Correct?

Not at all. I don't care about new or not. I just figured if I was going to drop 20k on a car would I want a new one but in the process downgrade from an Acura to a Kia. Or just stick with the Acura. Also my insurance was quite high with the tsx I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it being a lease or not but a quick call to my ins co to see if there's a drop because I'm financing it.

What about an Accord LX? It's only slightly more than a KIA, but gets better mpg, better safety ratings, has better visibility (KIA has the largest blind spots on the market, because of huge rear roof pillars), and has more standard equipment.

Even in the last generation the Accord LX was missing some key things, such as bluetooth, alloy wheels, dual climate control, upgraded engine, etc.

But now all of that is included in the LX.

Check out this price from Crest Honda in Nashville. Similar prices on the LX are available in most of the country. My parents own one of these and they love it. This generation of Accord has a significantly upgraded and quieter interior. Some Honda fans, only half joking, call it the "Acura Accord." Coming from your TSX, I think you'd feel right at home. And financing is available from Honda: 1.9 for 5 years, or 0.9 for 3 years.

It IS possible to negotiate a residual. I have done it before, with NMAC, on a leased Sentra. When the lease was almost up, I called NMAC and made them an offer, lower than the residual on the contract, and they accepted it.

Whether the residual on a specific leased car is negotiable is an open question. But it doesn't hurt to try... the worst that can happen is they say, "No".

I am looking within the next year to replace my wife's Saturn Aura XR as it will be 6 years old and out of warranty. It has been a good car but I don't see any V-6 powered midsize cars from GM anymore. I like the power of a v-6 but do not want a 4cyl Turbo . I had some in the past which all had engine problems after 50-60k miles and as a result I am not convinced of their long term durability, regardless of the manufacturer. My cousin has a Turbo 4 cyl RDX and am not at all impressed with the powertrain.

I would not consider Toyota or Mazda so that would leave me with a choice between Honda and VW. I am skeptical of VW reliability. I would consider the Honda Accord V-6 which looks like a nice car and reasonably priced even loaded up, but there are a ton of negative reviews for the V-6 model, mostly oil consumption and VCM problems. Can I reasonably believe those problems are in the past?

Agree with Backy. All contracts are technically negotiable....but that doesn't mean any/all will do it. Some are insured against the residuals and really could care less if it's turned in even if they're under water. As mentioned, it never hurts to ask.

I think Honda's V-6's are reliable these days. And because of the VCM, they get about the same mpg as many 4 cylinders. I've read that you can feel it when the VCM cuts off some cylinders and so you should give it an extensive test drive to see if you can live with that. Consumer Reports recommends the Accord, including the V-6, and they will not recommend something that they don't think will be reliable.

Road test. Each must rank at or near the top of its category in overall test score. Reliability. Each must have earned an average or better predicted-reliability Rating, based on the problems Consumer Reports subscribers reported on 1.2 million vehicles in our latest Annual Auto Survey. Safety. Top Picks must perform adequately if tested in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government or insurance industry.

Each model&#146;s overall road-test score, predicted-reliability Rating, overall fuel economy, detailed pricing, and much more is available on their model pages. Prices reflect the sticker prices when we bought our tested cars.

Midsized sedanHonda Accord

The Accord was redesigned for 2013, and Honda nailed it, sending this sedan to the top of its class. This new model is roomy, nice to drive, well equipped, and very fuel efficient. With its four-cylinder engine, the Accord squeezes out 30 mpg overall and 40 on the highway, which is as good as the tiny Honda Fit. Higher-trim models have safety features seldom found in this category. And the Accord&#146;s price is very reasonable: $23,270 to $30,860."

Would you spend 16-18k on an 05 ls430 w 80-100k mi or spend @26-28k on a 13 accord exl 4/6 cyl...there are pros and cons to both so chooses and explain your reasoning...this could be interesting debate...

If I had $28k to spend on a car, it wouldn't be on an Accord. Probably something like a CPO 3 Series.

You are comparing apples and oranges--a full sized luxury car with 100k miles, vs. a new, nicely equipped mid-sized family sedan that costs $10k more.

Why not look at cars that are at least in the same price range? And same size class, e.g. used Lexus ES vs. new Accord EXL V6? e.g. you could get a low-miles CPO 2010 (maybe even a 2011) ES for $28k or less. Much more comparable to the Accord EXL V6 than the LS.

Hey all. I've had a lot of trouble deciding on what I want for my first car, so I was hoping you guys could maybe help me out. I'm looking for mid to full-size used sedan in for around $5000-6000. I am an 18 year old guy so insurance is a factor and I can't go for anything too sporty.

So far I've looked at some Pontiac Grand Prixs and I really like them, but my mom's very worried about the safety ratings on them (she's the one paying for most of the car). The frontal driver crash ratings seem ok, but the side impact crash ratings are pretty poor from what I've seen (link title). I'm kind of new to the car market so I'm not really sure how important these ratings are. Of the other cars that I've looked at I've also liked the Acura Integra, Nissan Maxima, Chevrolet Impala (although I've heard that these don't hold their value too well and while I like the exterior and the way they drive, I don't really like their interior), and Infiniti G35. I've also been inside an Audi A4 and I really like those as well, but they're probably a little too expensive for me to maintain at this stage in my life as I will be a college student next year. While I've liked all these cars I also haven't really found any that click like the Grand Prix. I also really really like the Pontiac G8 (outside my price range), so if there's a car similar to it that I have overlooked, I would probably like that as well.

So down to the more specific criteria. As far as styling goes I like cars that have kind of sporty exteriors like the G8/Impala and sleek interiors like the Audi A4, G8 or Grand Prix. Fuel efficiency doesn't matter too much as I won't be driving the car very far all that often, but I don't want a real gas hog either. I also don't really want car older than a 2000. The car also needs to be fairly reliable as I can't afford to spend too much money maintaining it. It also needs to be pretty safe as I've mentioned before. Finally I should mention that I'm going to avoid any Volkswagens right now as my family has had a bad experience with them in the past.

Thanks in advance for any help in narrowing down my choices. I'm having a lot of trouble.

Hey Craig - how are ya? You know that I hold you in high regard and my observation is that you are an honest straight shooter. If you were still in the business and nearby, I'd probably be doing my Honda buying/leasing from you. What I have found these past 5-10 years is that the better dealers have established and operate effective Internet Sales Departments. The ones that only go through the motions and try to put on a face are easily exposed by the way they interact with customers. You know from your experience that it is difficult to conduct negotiations over the phone and all too many dealers put on the hard sell while you are at their location because they know when you leave you may not return. I prefer to work my way to a target price via email now - there might be a couple phone calls along the way but I won't go to a dealer until the numbers are nailed down and I have written confirmation in hand. And as I say, after you've done this for awhile, it is fairly easy to pick out the good Internet depts from the not so good (the way you were probably able to distinguish the buyers). I realize that the way you've described the store you worked at, it sounds customer friendly. But for the most part, dealers still put buyers through the wringer (especially the inexperienced ones) if they show up unprepared.

At that price point your first criterion is a trouble-free car that runs well. Of the vehicles you mentioned, I would suggest an early 2000s Maxima. Those are great cars but they do require premium fuel. But you might take a look at a Toyota Camry or a Buick LeSabre. They are not the most exciting to drive, but they will run forever and parts are plentiful. Any car at that price will have around 100k on it, so have it checked out very carefully before you buy.

Besides the Impala, everything you listed will likely be expensive to insure. The grand-prix might not be terrible but sometimes just "looking" sporty will cost you big money. I have no clue what state you're in or what other factors you have for insurance, but since you mention that cost is a factor, I think you should discuss this with your (moms) insurance agent.

Buying a $5k Acura/Infiniti/Audi is likely a very bad idea anyway due to potential repair costs and it doesn't sound like you're ready to self-mechanic. Those can be ok investments if you're handy with tools and have access to salvage parts, but otherwise you'll spend a fortune paying someone else to do it.

I actually like the Impala idea if you like it. They're relatively reliable and cheap to buy/operate.

If you find yourself interested in the Vibe or Toyota Matrix (same car basically) then avoid a manual transmission. Your price point would buy you one ready to blow up as they were a poor design. I have been unable to confirm if Toyota Corolla uses the same manual transmission as the Vibe, but suspect they are also to be avoided.The autos in all 3 were fine. But these are a bit on the small side given your size requirements. In order to help keep insurance costs in check, avoid 2 door coupe types, and basically any model that many young drivers are drawn to. Statistically, there are more insurance claims with those types and the premiums reflect that. It was good advice to check with your insurance agent prior to a purchase. Any offer to purchase should always have a clause along the lines of "subject to my financial ability to insure".

I rarely feel comfortable telling someone else what choice *they* should make. After all, I'm not sure what your financial situation is, and I'm not sure what would make you happier, and I'm also not sure how long you intend to keep the vehicle.

However, if I were looking at those two options, it'd be the LS430 all day long. This is simply because I'd be perfectly happy with a used vehicle at a lower purchase price, and from everything I've seen (and those I know who own that vehicle), they tend to last forEVER. The Accord probably will too, but at a higher entry price.

Sounds like we have similar perspective, don't care about "new" just quality long lasting reliable where most depreciation already out after 5-6 yrs. have a 99 ls 400 MINT only 84k mi (just did major timing belt idler pulley svc, and new plugs etc ) we love and need a 2nd veh for myself if I give the 99 to my wife. Drive about 12-15k per yr Tend to think 04-04 ls 430s last great ls before cost cutting etc and agree with sac they should last loooong time

Nice cars. Great for kids who's parents can afford the high insurance premiums. I had a relative that bought one for his 16yo son and I remember he ended up buying some cheap beater car to put as his primary car because the rates were sky high on the RSX.

All I can say is we have a '08 in our stable for my kid and it's been almost flawless...they did replace a faulty brake switch last year and a battery. Besides oil change and rotations and new blades, that's it. Car has now close to 14k on the clock and drives extremely nicely. I cam honestly say that we'd buy any other Hyundai/Kia product in a heart beat and I predict next year, there will be another one in the garage here.

Great that you have good experience with one. Consumer Reports survey stats don't think much of them as a used car, though. They do recommend other Hyundai makes such as the Elantra and Sonata. I'd go with something else that has a better track record.

For the love of Pete! Lol! You'd consider that little econo dog whose life is probably half over, when for less than twice that you could get a brand new Mazda3, Corolla, or Civic, financed at almost 0% that would likely give you a decade of trouble free driving....In any case, you said you wanted a car that looked nice for your wife to be in. That one ain't it imho.

The Versa is a small and rather unsafe car, which gets 27 mpg combined, compared to the larger and much safer Civic that gets 32 mpg. So you save about 300 a year on gas with a Civic, which over a decade means a savings of 3000. Plus, it's highly unlikely you'll be driving the Versa in the year 2023. Before that you'll almost certainly need to buy a another car costing more $$. A new car is likely to be doing ok in 2023, and have some ok resale value. I feel like this stuff is water going over a duck's back. But as you said, the paradox is that used can cost more than new in the long run of a decade. Are you sharing any of this with your wife? What about turning some of the decision over to her? Can you put her on the line? ;-)

Man that seems like a lot of money for a half used up Versa. I assume it's at a dealer? What model? If it's a loaded SL that might be a starting point on the price. If it's just an S model it way overpriced.

I don't know about reliability on these but it seems even the worst reliable vehicles these days aren't half bad. It's not like an '85 chevy where it's a gonner at 78k if you're super lucky.